Mary Virginia Evans

Born in Big Sandy, Texas on July 26, 1925, Mary was a country girl. Her parents had farmland and Mary would often be found in the blackberry patch with chigger bites. She learned to cook and can fresh vegetables as a child, with her mother by her side. She completed high school at the age of sixteen, in 1941.

Mary went on to college at North Texas State University in Denton. She graduated at the age of twenty with a bachelor's degree in Food and Nutrition. Dedicated to her profession, she worked as a dietitian at six facilities throughout her career, spending 20 years at St. Paul Hospital. She was also a member of the American Dietetic Association.

Mary wedded James Evans in 1952. They farmed the land for the first ten years of their marriage in West Texas. On an Easter Sunday, she witnessed the awe-inspiring sight of seven tornadoes in one day. This experience instilled in her a lifelong respect for tornado warnings.

Mary was an excellent cook, always eager to try new recipes. Over 100 cookbooks and thousands of newspaper clippings attested to her passion. During harvesting seasons, she would whip up meals for everyone working the fields, and later in life, she often reminisced about the elaborate menus she created.

Mary’s family moved to Arlington in 1970. She was involved in community events, such as the Neighborhood Watch group and she would volunteer during elections at the voting booths. Mary was a friendly person that often discovered mutual acquaintances everywhere she went.

Beyond her love for cooking, Mary enjoyed reading and cherished her Sunday worship and fellowship time. A member of the Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas, she found joy in the friendships she nurtured there.

Mary is survived by three children, Clifford (Betsy)Evans, Harry (Linda) Evans, Jane(Jim) Butler, six grandchildren: Carrie Shofner, Jacob Evans, John Evans, Rebecca Shofner, Robert Butler, Sherry Higgins, and nine great grandchildren. Son-in-law Thomas Shofner. Cousin Sue Jolly Ramsour.

Mary was preceded by her parents Sam Davis Tune and Olga Gertrude Tune, her husband, James Evans, her sister, Jennie Ensey, her two daughters, Lou Shofner and Nancy Evans, and her granddaughter Virginia Shofner.

Services will be held at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas on February 29, 2024 at 10 am.